Chapter 5 After that, I called Everett over a dozen times. Every call was rejected. My texts explaining the situation were also met with silence. He completed his mission and returned to the country on the 20th, yet didn't come back to Pinecrest Estate until the 25th. Those five days in between had clearly been spent pacifying Isabella. The night before, I had scrolled past her local social media update-she was lying in a hospital bed while Everett was carefully picking the bones out of her chicken soup. The caption read: [The one who isn't loved is the true outsider.] Today, he finally made time to confront me. I had prepared myself for his fury, but Everett didn't even look at me. He simply draped his coat over a chair and sat on the sofa, reviewing documents. Soon, a phone rang. His tone was deceptively calm, laden with the oppressive authority of high command, which made the air in the room feel thick and heavy. "Do you remember what I told you before I left?" The voice belonged to the personal bodyguard Everett had hired for Isabella. "You asked me to take care of Miss Monroe," he said. Everett replied with a soft hum. "And you failed in your duty." I could faintly hear the bodyguard mumbling, "I'm sorry, Mr. Vance." "You're fired," Everett announced flatly. I stared in disbelief, then rushed over. "Mr. Vance, she's not to blame! I was the one who broke the agreement. Please don't punish an innocent person for my actions." For the first time, Everett seemed to notice me. His gaze shifted, repeating slowly, "Dragging innocent people into this?" He let a moment pass, then continued, "If you had considered that before revealing our marriage, maybe none of this would have happened." "That's not true!" I blurted urgently. "Isabella took my mother's cnsultation slot! The doctor said her condition couldn't be delayed any longer." "There are only one or two surgeons in the entire country who can perform this operation!" Chapter 5 50.00% Everett interrupted smoothly, without haste, "Does your mother have anything to do with me?" His words were like an ice-cold blade, thrust precisely into the most vulnerable part of my heart. I froze in place, staring into his eyes, which betrayed no emotion. Suddenly, everything from the past three years felt like a ridiculous joke. I drew a sharp breath, forcing down the sob lodged in my throat, and spoke, measuring each word, "Correct. My mother is nothing to you. And from this moment on, I am nothing to you as well." With that, I turned and walked away, leaving no trace of hesitation. Back in my room, I packed my things-and my mother's-with the utmost speed. Chapter 5 50.00%